Mobile, remotely controlled robots are becoming increasingly popular for use by the military, SWAT units, and police and fire departments. The applicant's Talon® robot for example, includes an arm with an end effector, several cameras, several antennas, and a deployable mast.
The Talon® arm assembly includes a lower arm which pivots up and down with respect to the robot chassis. An upper arm is pivotable with respect to the lower arm via a chain drive extending along side the lower arm.
There is a need for robot arms for remotely controlled robots including, but not limited to, the Talon® robot which are capable of lifting heavier loads. There is also a need to rotate the lower and upper arms for added maneuverability.
Presently, since the Talon® upper arm chain drive is disposed alongside the lower arm, the lifting capability of the upper arm is limited and a bending moment˜normal to the plane of movement is induced when the upper arm is loaded.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/901,200 filed Sep. 13, 2007, incorporated herein by this reference, discloses a robot arm shoulder able to rotate the lower arm. In some robot applications, it would be desirable to include a turret rotatable 360°. Known turrets include large diameter bearings. Unfortunately, such bearings are expensive.
Any viable robot arm assembly must be fairly robust since remotely controlled robots are often used in extremely harsh and hostile conditions.